Four Things and a Lizard

Blood, Fire and Torment March 7, 2008

I ended up watching three more episodes last night, after “Thor’s Hammer”. They were (in order) “The Torment of Tantalus”, “Bloodlines”, and “Fire and Water.” These are all pretty good episodes.

“Torment of Tantalus” is a sweet and touching story. I was pleasantly surprised to see the young Ernest Littlefield played by none other than Paul McGillion (who goes on to play Dr. Beckett on Atlantis). Actually, both actors who portray Littlefield, him and Keene Curtis, do remarkable jobs—Littlefield ends up being a wonderfully sympathetic and tragic character. This is a good Jackson episode too—his passion and frustration with the discovery and imminent destruction of the ancient book device really help to remind us of what he’s all about as a person. He’s a seeker of knowledge, truth and understanding, and it’s this inner need which will drive him throughout the series, even after his quest for his wife ends.

As the series was originally broadcast, the episode “The Nox” would have appeared before this one. As I was watching last night, I began to think the ordering of the episodes actually is better on the DVDs, but I want to see “The Nox” before deciding for sure. What they’re doing with all these references to ancient and powerful races is presenting pieces in a puzzle, and I’m thinking the order of presentation may make a difference in the overall perception that’s created for the viewer.

“Bloodlines” is notable because of the first appearance in the series of one of my favorite recurring guest characters, Bra’tac, so fabulously portrayed by Tony Amendola. I like this character so much, I typically greet his appearance in an episode with a hearty, “Bra’tac! Dude!” or something similar. ;) It was so fortunate that the writers didn’t kill him off after a few seasons, the way they did with some of the other guest characters—he ended up making at least one appearance in all but one of the show’s ten seasons.

This is also the episode where we begin to realize why Teal’c is so quiet—he’s an introvert! Witness the emotions flooding through him when he discovers his old home, burned to the ground. He says very little, yet it’s obvious the experience is tearing him up inside. This, now, is the beginning of the character who, in my opinion, ends up being the best sci fi alien since Mr. Spock.

Regarding “Fire and Water,” I have a theory about the bizarre fish-faced alien in this episode: He is a Furling. I’m almost certainly wrong, since the technology in his lab bears little resemblance to the Furling technology shown in the sixth season episode “Paradise Lost,” but it seemed like a really cool idea when I thought of it last night. It fits, in a couple of respects—fish-faced-guy possesses very advanced technology, and his race is very old and powerful. Okay, I admit, that’s pretty thin. I guess I’m mostly amused by the idea of a fishlike alien race being referred to as “Furlings,” and frustrated that the mystery of the Furlings was never resolved.

In any case, this is a fairly good episode, not one of my favorites from this season, but interesting enough. The memorial service for Daniel Jackson is quite well done. I also enjoyed the look of the alien’s lab, and the planet itself.

One bit of trivia I want to note down here for future reference: SG-6 makes a very brief appearance in this episode.